https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9znMWH3LC9E
Vridar posts on Russell Gmirkin’s books discussed in the podcast:
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2020-06-07
The Hebrew Bible Composed in the Hellenistic Era: Dr. Robert M. Price & Russell Gmirkin – MythVision Podcast
Category: Uncategorized
2020-04-16
Trump is Merely the Distraction
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
by Neil Godfrey
A little rant:
No-one with “every single thing that could be wrong with a human being” could just walk in and become President of the United States without a little help from somewhere. So here we are, people going crazy with frustration as Trump does and says more and more wrong things. The “wrong things” are why his base loves him, of course. It’s a serious situation.
The real fault surely, as we all must know, is that
a. the Republicans know that supporting Trump is their only chance of protecting the economic and class interests of those they represent;
b. the establishment Democrats represent the other wing of the same economic and class elites as demonstrated by their nominations for Hilary Clinton and now Joe Biden to represent them.
The Coronavirus represents another opportunity for the corporations to entrench their power and wealth at the expense of the rest of the nation. As long as everyone is focused on the idiot showman and all of his nonsense they can get away with it largely unnoticed.
Meanwhile, the showman has accelerated a total breakdown in any ability of his supporters and opponents to actually talk and debate with each other. All criticism has been branded “fake news” of persons with some sort of mental syndrome. If one side attempts to focus on the facts of a record of behaviour the other side focuses on a selection of words and facts that portray an “alternative reality”. There is no common ground in the “conversation”.
A showman and an audience divided into two competing “realities”.
Meanwhile, untouched, the real powers who benefit from this whole scenario.
Elections are bought. The debates focus on the criminal clown and people rage within the echo chambers of different “realities”. Even if one reality is indeed “the” reality, the focus is still on the showman.
Somehow the focus needs to be redirected against those who buy the elections, that is against those who are benefiting from the political system that represents the corporate capitalist elites, against those politicians who are benefiting from all the attention, both supportive and critical, being on Trump.
The corporate capitalist system makes a mockery of what is called a “democracy” and is driving us all to any number of disasters.
End of my little rant.
2020-03-17
Lost in Translation
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
by Neil Godfrey
I have been attempting to locate a copy of a French language book at a reasonable cost and after some machine or app communication I attempted a “direct” approach, contacting one book seller in France directly (I am in Australia). I ran my subject header through Google Translate first:
Request for ‘title of the book’
and it came out
Demande de ‘titre de livre’ . . .
I baulked at the idea of “demanding” a title from a bookseller but finally decided that the French “demande” did not sound quite as “demanding” as it did in English, so I sent it anyway.
I then received a courteous reply:
Nous sommes désolés mais nous n’avons pas ces ouvrages . . . .
Now that made me feel really bad. They are “desolated” at not being able to provide me with the title I want.
“Sorry” would have been fine. Even a simple “regret”. But “désolés“? Oh my god, the trauma I have sprung on the other side of this planet!
2020-02-27
If your comment gets lost
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
by Neil Godfrey
Repeating this post:
Please accept our sincere apologies if any of your comments aren’t posted to the blog immediately. Recently, we have been weathering a spam tsunami, and our current settings may be triggering some false positives. As we work things out, you could experience delays.
If a significant amount of time goes by, and you still haven’t seen your comment appear, drop us a line via email or ping us on Facebook.
- Neil: neilgodfrey1 [AT] gmail [DOT] com
- Tim: widowfield [AT] gmail [DOT] com
- https://www.facebook.com/vridar/
As always, thanks for reading Vridar. We always appreciate your input and your support.
2020-02-13
How Luke Reworked Mark’s Ending
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
by Neil Godfrey
This post looks at the evidence for Luke having reworked Mark’s ending. (The Gospel of Mark appears to have originally ended with verse 8 with the women fleeing from the tomb in fear.) The next post will identify the evidence for Luke having simultaneously used and changed Matthew’s ending. One step at a time.
What about the famous Emmaus Road encounter in Luke? Recall how Jesus appeared, unrecognized, alongside two disciples on the road, was invited in but disappeared before their eyes as soon as he broke bread.
That brings us to that highlighted section in Mark 16:7 … Jesus is promised to go before his disciples on the way back to Galilee . . . . Continue reading “How Luke Reworked Mark’s Ending”
2019-12-14
A “Be Best” Dimmerick
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
by Tim Widowfield
Melania said, “It’s mind-numbing,
This incessant media drumming.
I’ve explained it all fully.
Barron must not be bullied,
But that bitch, Greta, she had it coming.”
2019-07-04
Spencer Alexander McDaniel on the Historicity of Jesus
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
by Neil Godfrey
Richard Carrier has posted Spencer Alexander McDaniel on the Historicity of Jesus which appears to be a comprehensive response “Was Jesus a Historical Figure?” by McDaniel of the Tales of Times Forgotten blog.
I’ve only skimmed some of Tales of Times Forgotten and can understand Carrier’s high assessment of the overall quality of the blog. His article on the historicity of Jesus, though, indicates that he has uncritically followed the methods theologians and biblical scholars have generally (not in every case) used to ascertain historicity instead of the methods of secular historians as set out by leading lights like Moses I. Finley that I have discussed here.
Housekeeping request (another one)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
by Neil Godfrey
I am on a slow, slow road to restoring images to vridar posts that have lost them and I would like to ask anyone who has some spare time on their hands to let me know if they find any posts with clear indications that images are missing between 2006/11/20 (Hezbollah not a terrorist organization & In Search of Ancient Israel) up to 2007/06/29, (10 Characteristics of Religious Fundamentalism). I have done that time span as my first batch but would not be surprised if I’ve missed some.
I’m still working on the categories and tags. It will take a while but if I live long enough with my faculties in tact I think it will be done. Thank you for your help — it was good to see several suggestions offered and these have led me to think some things afresh.
Many thanks to all.